Post pregnancy brassiere



June 96 H. c. M ALPINE POST PREGNANCY BRASSIEHE Filed March 2, 1966 United States Patent 3,326,218 POST PREGNANCY BRASSIERE Hugh C. McAlpine, 12031 Vaughan, Detroit, Mich. 48228 Filed Mar. 2, 1966, Ser. No. 531,124 Claims. (Cl. 128462) This invention relates to brassieres, and more particularly a post-pregnancy brassiere.

It is therefore the main purpose of this invention to provide a post-pregnancy brassiere for reducing of the swelling and pain in the female body.

Another object of this invention is to provide a postpregnancy brassiere including means for circulating the cooling agents therein.

Another object of this invention is to provide a postpregnancy brassiere which includes at least two sets of interchangeable inner cups adapted to hold the cooling agent and thus enable to wear said brassiere at a desired temperature.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a post-pregnancy brassiere which is inexpensive to manufact-ure, is of rigid construction and provides maximum utility to its user.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein a satisfactory embodiment of the invention is shown. However, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the details disclosed but includes all such variations and modifications as fall within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of this invention.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary top view of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along the lines 33 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a partly broken away view of this invention, showing the circulation of coolant within the inner cups of this invention.

FIGURE 5 is a part elevation view of this invention.

FIGURE 6 is an end view of this invention showing the relationship between the inflatable and cooling portions of this invention.

According .to this invention, a post-pregnancy brassiere 10 is flexibly supported on straps 11 which, in turn, are provided with buckles 12 for holding said brassiere 10 on a female body. A pair of outwardly projecting elements 13 which are of substantially annular configuration and being made of flexible material, are suitably secured on a body engaging band 14. Elements 13 are spaced from each other in a parallel relationship. A valve member is positioned on the center portion of band 14 and is capable of inflating and deflating each of said elements 13. Valve member 15 is provided with an opening 17, which is adapted to flexibly house and secured a helical spring 16. Opening 17 is adapted to communicate with the passage 18 when an air pump 19 provides air supply through the valve member 15 into the outside portion of the brassiere 10. After a sufiicient amount of air is supplied by pump 19, outer and inner flexible annular elements 13 and 20 expand in outer directions and assume a configuration of female breasts. For sake of reinforcing elements 13 and 20 and providing support for valve 3,326,218 Patented June 20, 1967 member 15 a pair of connecting supports 21 and 22 are provided. As it can be seen from FIGURE 2, FIGURE 3 and FIGURE 6, air passage 18 is provided for maintaining the inflated configuration for annular elements 13 and 20 by means of the air pressure provided by pump 19. Connecting supports 21 and 22 also provide means for equalizing said air pressure within said annualr elements. Annular elements 20 are adapted to admit a pair of inner and outer breast cups 23 and 24 which are connected to each other by means of rigid supports 25 and 26. Cooling agent, such as water, is adapted to circulate within the passage 23' which is positioned between the outer and inner breast cups 23 and 24 and the connecting supports 25 and 26. Inside of each inner breast cup 24 a pair of semi-circular elements 27 are secured Within said cups 24. Semi-circular elements 27 are made of resilient material, such as rubber, neoprene, etc. Elements 27 are capable of enclosing and supporting inner and outer cups 24 and 23 on female breasts. Additional support is provided by straps 11 secured to the outwardly projecting elements 13 and the body engaging band 14.

It will also be noted that the inner and outer breast cups 24 and 23 may be interchangeably positioned within elements 13 and 20 which, upon admitting said breast cups therein, are capable of being inflated in accordance with the contours of said breast cups 24 and 23. It shall be noted that one pair of said breast cups may be placed in a refrigerated compartment for continuous cooling thereof, while the other pair of said breast cups 23 and 24 may be interchangeably worn within the outwardly projecting elements 13 and 20.

What I now claim is:

1. A post-pregnancy brassiere comprising, in combination, a pair of flexible, outwardly projecting annular elements, a pair of flexible, inner annular elements spaced from each other in such a manner to form an air passage therebetween, a body engaging band adapted to support said elements thereon, a valve member secured on said band for providing air pressure to said passage, flexible supports between said annular elements, said flexible supports spaced from each other by another air passage adapted to communicate with said air passage between said annular elements and said valve member, a pair of rigid inner and outer cups secured to each other by inner and outer supporting members and being provided with a spacing adapted to separate said inner cups from said outer cups and said inner supporting member from said outer supporting member, cooling liquid within said spacing, a resilient member secured to each of said inner cups for supporting female breasts therein, said inner, outer cups and their supporting members adapted to be positioned within said annular elements and said body engaging band, said valve member capable of providing suflicient amount of air for said annular elements for inflating said elements in such a manner that it corresponds with the contours of said outer cups, a pair of strap members for securing said annular elements and said band to the shoulder portions of a female body.

2. The brassiere according to claim 1, wherein a hand operable air pump is adapted to be inserted into said valve member for providing air pressure for inflating said annular elements of said brassiere.

3. The b-rassiere according to claim 2, wherein said valve member is provided with a spring-biased element 3 4 for closing said valve member when said air pump is References Cited removed.

4. The brassiere according to claim 1, wherein said UNITE D STA TES PATENTS strap members include shoulder straps secured to each 2, 4/ 1956 Willie 128462 other by means of buckles. 5 2,764,759 10/ 1956 Gazelle 128-462 5. The brassiere according to claim 1, wherein said 3,301,260 1/1967 Ray 128-481 annular elements are adapted to be worn even when said inner and outer cups are removed therefrom. ADELE M. EAGER, Primary Examiner. 

1. A POST-PREGNANCY BRASSIERE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A PAIR OF FLEXIBLE, OUTWARDLY PROJECTING ANNULAR ELEMENTS, A PAIR OF FLEXIBLE, INNER ANNULAR ELEMENTS SPACED FROM EACH OTHER IN SUCH A MANNER TO FORM AN AIR PASSAGE THEREBETWEEN, A BODY ENGAGING BAND ADAPTED TO SUPPORT SAID ELEMENTS THEREON, A VALVE MEMBER SECURED ON SAID BAND FOR PROVIDING AIR PRESSURE TO SAID PASSAGE, FLEXIBLE SUPPORTS BETWEEN SAID ANNULAR ELEMENTS, SAID FLEXIBLE SUPPORTS SPACED FROM EACH OTHER BY ANOTHER AIR PASSAGE ADAPTED TO COMMUNICATE WITH SAID AIR PASSAGE BETWEEN SAID ANNULAR ELEMENTS AND SAID VALVE MEMBER, A PAIR OF RIGID INNER OUTER CUPS SECURED TO EACH OTHER BY INNER AND OUTER SUPPORTING MEMBERS AND BEING PROVIDED WITH A SPACING ADAPTED TO SEPARATE SAID INNER CUPS FROM SAID OUTER CUPS AND SAID INNER SUPPORTING MEMBER FROM SAID OUTER SUPPORTING MEMBER, COOLING LIQUID WITHIN SAID SPACING, A RESILIENT MEMBER SECURED TO EACH OF SAID INNER CUPS FOR SUPPORTING FEMALE BREASTS THEREIN, SAID INNER, OUTER CUPS AND THEIR SUPPORTING MEMBERS ADAPTED TO BE POSITIONED WITHIN SAID ANNULAR ELEMENTS AND SAID BODY ENGAGING BAND, SAID VALVE MEMBER CAPABLE OF PROVIDING SUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF AIR FOR SAID ANNULAR ELEMENTS FOR INFLATING SAID ELEMENTS IN SUCH A MANNER THAT IT CORRESPONDS WITH THE CONTOURS OF SAID OUTER CUPS, A PAIR OF STRAP MEMBERS FOR SECURING SAID ANNULAR ELEMENTS AND SAID BAND TO THE SHOULDER PORTIONS OF A FEMALE BODY. 